Mango Lemonade Smoothie Parfait + A GIVEAWAY!

My dad used to make the tartest, most sugary lemonade of all time. The kind where your lips would pucker and you’d slightly wince after every sip. But it was so sweet that I kept going back for another drink. By the time I was done, my tongue was raw and I could probably feel a cavity coming on if I wasn’t in the midst of a maniacal sugar-high.

Whenever I would open the fridge and see that pitcher of lemonade I felt so conflicted. Did I want to endure the headaches that came from wincing and puckering so hard? Being the sassy little sugar-fiend that I was, though, I could never resist.

By the time I was old enough to realize I could resist the temptation of that lemonade I was a young college girl in her early twenties and on her own for the first time (last year, basically). After moving out, I lost the desire to ever drink lemonade again. “That overly sugary lemon concoction will never again touch my lips,” I dramatically thought to myself. It lasted until I was about 30 (I mean, er… uh, 21?) and I discovered the sugar-free lemonade at none other than the LA eatery, Lemonade. After finding that delight, I found myself having occasional lemonade cravings. Recently, I began making smoothies with lemonade and fruit and I have to say, it is my new favorite thing.

I know that my body does not handle sugar very well (who can blame it after my childhood addiction?) so I do my best to make smarter choices when it comes to sweeteners when I can. I use xylitol, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, brown rice syrup, and other liquid sweeteners, but what I use most frequently is stevia. I add a little to my morning oatmeal, my smoothies, my tea, and I sometimes even bake with it. One of my favorite brands is NuNaturals because their stevia has a clean, simple flavor with no aftertaste and their powdered stevia does not clump when you add it to liquids. They also have a variety of other sweeteners, some of which I’ve reviewed before. Recently, NuNaturals came out with a variety of flavored liquid stevias, similar to their vanilla stevia, and they were kind enough to send me some to sample. So far, I’ve tried the Orange, the Cherry, and the Cherry Vanilla, but so far my favorite has been the Lemon Stevia. I’ve added it to my tea, granola, and now this Mango Lemonade Smoothie to help impart a stronger lemon flavor. I tasted the smoothie before and after I added it and I was amazed at how much of a lemon flavor it imparted.

I also added to the smoothie a teaspoon of NuNatural‘s new Oat Fiber. It has zero calories but adds fiber to any recipe. Since I normally add fiber to my smoothies by way of a couple handfuls of greens, I decided the oat fiber was a great way to add that extra bit of fiber. To make this a full-fledged breakfast, I decided to make a parfait with my sweet and tart mango lemonade smoothies. I layered it with blueberries, chopped mango, and Lemon Blueberry Granola for a bright, refreshing breakfast that was perfect after my morning workout. And I had zero puckering-induced headaches or crazy sugar-highs so it was definitely a “Win” in my book.

Combine all of the smoothie ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

In 2 jars or glasses, add about 1/4 cup of granola. Divide half of the smoothie between the 2 containers. Add a layer of blueberries and then a layer of chopped mango. Add another 1/4 cup of granola and the divide the remainder of the smoothie between the two glasses. Top with more blueberries, mango, and granola. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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NuNaturals has not only been kind enough to let me sample these products, but they’re letting me giveaway a NuNaturals prize pack containing one bottle each of the Lemon, Cherry Vanilla, and Peppermint Flavored Stevia Liquids, PLUS a 50 packet box of NuStevia White Stevia Powder packets, AND a FREE Bonus Product! The whole package retails for over $50. And if that wasn’t great enough, I get to pick 4 WINNERS and the giveaway is open to all of my readers, worldwide! The giveaway will run until 11:59pm on 4/23/14. Please use the box below to enter.

Thank you so much to NuNaturals for letting me try these products and for hosting the very generous giveaway. Thank you to all of you for stopping by!

Do you use alternative sweeteners? What is your favorite way to use them?

Photography by Chris Miller

Disclaimer: I was given these products to try but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

My go-to is stevia, though I have a hard time baking with it when I replace sugar with it; I can’t seem to get the ratio right! And if I’m not using my own spliquid made from my own stevia plant, NuNaturals is my top choice! I always have packets in my purse.Allison recently posted…Confession

Wow this looks so refreshing yet decadent too. Like a breakfast dessert! Those are my favorite kinds of breakfast I use mostly stevia in baking, oats or smoothies. I can’t really handle the strange aftertaste with coffee or tea so I love honey in tea, plus it’s the best cure for a sore throat.

I used to use Sweet and Low but quickly realized that it made me feel like absolute garbage (surprise, surprise). Since then I’ve mostly weaned myself off of all sweeteners, but there are times when I still wish for a little something sweet (usually when I’ve made a smoothie with fruit that isn’t at its peak). I’ve never used Stevia based sweeteners but I’d definitely be curious to give them a try, and the flavor element makes them even more appealing!Ashley recently posted…Spicy Spotlight: Dragon’s Blood Elixir

I use maple syrup, agave nectar and coconut sugar when I bake in place of refined sugars. Have wanted to try the NuNaturals because I’ve heard so many good things about them. Thanks for the chance to win some.

The only “alternative” sweetener that I use is stevia. I use it in a lot of ways, but one of the ways I use it most frequently is in my apple cider vinegar drinks. ACV + lemon juice + water + a few drops of liquid stevia.

I have not used stevia much in my food. I have only used the powder in banana ice cream in the Vitamix. I would love to learn about stevia drops! Your recipe looks quite enticing! (As do all your recipes!) I’ve made and loved many, many of your delicious dishes. Thank you Christy!

Wow, Kristy – these photos are totally mouthwatering! I love the idea of a lemonade smoothie and the combination of lemon, mango, and blueberries (plus granola!) just sounds incredible! I’ve never used stevia though I’ve heard a lot about NuNaturals and would love to try flavouring homemade yoghurt with their liquid flavours. I adore coconut sugar despite the price tag, but sometimes granulated sweeteners aren’t quite right!

This smoothie looks SO good that I’m going to march downstairs right now and make one for myself!

I usually stay clear of sweetners, but I do love using dates in baking. I’ve also recently started playing around with stevia packets and it’s such a wild difference to not gunk cups of sugar into a dish! It also means I can bake knowing my diabetic FIL can also join in, which makes everyone happy Margaux recently posted…Banana almond + oat crumble (GF)

I like a lot of the alternative sweeteners out there. I like to use different ones for different types of foods and recipes. I really like agave or maple syrup in coffee and use stevia for oatmeal and chai tea. I also love the mild flavor of brown rice syrup and use it in baking a lot. I’ve never used the NuNaturals brand of stevia and would love to try it!

I’ve been making cookies with dates as the sweetener! So good. That and maple syrup are my go to sweeteners. I would love to try stevia, have only tried one kind and it was just so-so. Some things I felt there was an aftertaste, others none!

I like to add a few drops of stevia to my hot cocoa which is almond milk, peppermint extract and cocoa powder. The peppermint stevia drops would be so perfect for this!Kelly J. R. recently posted…Monday Wake-Up

I am not a sugar person either (and by that I mean my body totally rejects it!)
So my alternative sweetener is often to skip it! But I can use a small amount of honey, maple syrup, or agave to sweeten things if I need to.

Kristy, these look INSANELY gorgeous! I’m a huge fresh-tarty-lemon fan and had an insatiable sugar appetite when I was younger, so I can completely understand your early lemonade addiction. These look like a gorgeously sophisticated alternative. xxBex @ VeganSparkles.com recently posted…5 Ways to Bounce Back from Your Easter Binge